Last chance to see once-in-a-lifetime exhibition

Issued January 2007

The National Gallery's Velázquez exhibition will close on Sunday 21 January 2007.

For those who have not yet been, there is still an opportunity to see this extraordinary exhibition of more than 40 paintings by the celebrated Spanish master.

Described as 'the show of the decade' (The Times) and 'an experience not to be missed by anyone who cares about art' (The Observer), this is the first time there has been a Velázquez show of this scale and importance in the United Kingdom.

'Velázquez' has drawn crowds from Europe and beyond - more than 235,000 people have seen the exhibition so far.

Highlights include an unprecedented eight loans from the Museo del Prado, Madrid (including the imposing 'Apollo at the Forge of Vulcan' and the sensitive portrayal of the dwarf 'Francisco Lezcano') and a trio of rarely lent royal portraits from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. There are also loans from galleries as far afield as Texas, St Petersburg and São Paulo.

To cope with the demand for tickets, the Gallery has extended the opening hours of the exhibition to 9pm for the duration of its final week (Monday 15 - Friday 19, plus Sunday 21, January).

On Saturday 20 January 'Velázquez' will remain open until 11pm, along with the National Café, with live music in Central Hall.